Variety’s International Achievement in Film Honoree Tarak Ben Ammar Soars With Italy’s Eagle Pictures Pacts and Local Hits Like ‘Boy With Pink Trousers’

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Tarak Ben Ammar’s extensive connections within the film industry have their foundation in Italy, where his company, Eagle Pictures, stands as the leading independent film distributor and an increasingly significant player in production.

During the 1960s, a portion of his teenage years were spent in Rome, where his father served as the Tunisian ambassador to Italy. This is where his passion for cinema blossomed, as he often visited the Cinema Archimede theater in the city that never fades, reminiscing about it now.

Following his remarkable development of Tunisia’s film industry, spanning several decades during which he established connections and negotiated with influential figures within the international entertainment sector, Ben Ammar moved back to Italy. In October 2007, Ben Ammar acquired bankrupt indie distributor Eagle Pictures. This was when he decided it was time for him to learn the ropes of distribution, as prior to this, he had only briefly delved into it, most notably when Quinta secured French rights for Mel Gibson’s hit film “The Passion of the Christ” in 2004.

In the words of Maria Grazia Vairo, head of acquisitions and co-productions at Eagle, one of the key strengths that sets him apart from the company’s former leadership is his extensive international connections; he is well-acquainted with many individuals around the world. This observation comes from her experience with the company since it was acquired by Ben Ammar from an Italian bank and other entities.

After that point, Eagle has emerged as Ben Ammar’s primary film enterprise. It jointly operates France’s Studios de Paris, known for producing “Emily in Paris.” Eagle also holds shares with Warner Bros. Pictures in Spyglass Media Group. This group, along with Andy Mitchell’s Lantern Asset Management, acquired the Weinstein Co.’s film and TV library during a bankruptcy sale. Currently, Eagle Pictures owns an impressive collection of approximately 2,800 films.

In his role as a distributor, Ben Ammar elevated Eagle by executing two significant moves. Initially, in 2020, he sealed an agreement with then-CEO of Paramount Pictures, Jim Gianopulos, who recognized the potential for a fruitful partnership, making Eagle the Italian theatrical distributor for Paramount. Later, in 2023, Eagle established a similar deal with Sony, not just as a distributor but also as a production partner on high-profile films like “The Equalizer 3,” directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington. This movie was filmed in Italy, leveraging the country’s attractive tax rebate system.

Steven O’Dell, President of International Theatrical Distribution at Sony, commented on partnering with Eagle for the significant market of Italy. He stated that this decision speaks volumes as Sony usually prefers to manage its own teams for operations. However, when it comes to major markets, Italy is the only one where Sony feels secure enough in a partnership to distribute independently, without relying on their own office.

Over the past year, Eagle Productions has unveiled several high-profile films like the multiple Oscar-nominated “Conclave,” while simultaneously launching the summer season with blockbusters such as “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” In addition, American releases like “Karate Kid Legends” and “28 Years Later” are also part of their lineup.

The Italian flag bears alliances with independent distributors like MadRiver, DeAPlaneta (from Spain), IDC Distribution (across Latin America), Italia Film (in the Middle East), Leonine Studios (covering Germany and Austria), Shochiku (Japan), SND (France) and Unicorn Media (spanning Eastern Europe).

Lately, Eagle has been increasing its local production efforts. Last year at Cannes, they acquired the Italian remake rights to the French blockbuster “A Little Something Extra.

2024 saw “The Boy With Pink Trousers,” a teen drama by Margherita Ferri, become my favorite local hit in Italy. This heart-wrenching story revolves around a 15-year-old who tragically took his own life after facing bullying at school and online. Remarkably, it outperformed some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, such as “Wicked,” “Dune 2,” “Gladiator 2,” and “Venom 3” in terms of ticket sales.

Samuele Carrino shares the screen with Claudia Pandolfi, who is now a strong proponent of anti-bullying campaigns.

Initially, Eagle debuted the movie on November 7, 2024, in 380 cinemas. The following week, after receiving excited calls from exhibitors, they expanded the release to 550 screens. Ben Ammar shared with EbMaster in December 2024 that they recognized something unique was unfolding and adjusted their plans accordingly, aiming for a similar screen count as ‘Gladiator 2’.

The real-life story earned over $10 million and demonstrated our commitment to creating impactful Italian films with social, cultural, and emotional resonance, similar to Rossellini’s style, according to Ben Ammar.

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2025-05-06 22:24